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{ 3 Ways to Instantly Get Rid of a Panic Attack }

Last week, I had a panic attack during the day, standing in the middle of a busy train station. It wasn’t a good moment to say the least.

After not having a panic attacks for months, I was disappointed in myself. Even though the panic attack was quite mild compared to what used to happen, I still wasn’t happy that it happened. Until I realized that not only was I able to pull myself out of it within 10-15 minutes, but I was also able to function for the rest of the day AND by the end of the evening, I was in a great mood.

In the past, I would have a panic attack that sometimes lasted over an hour, where I would start hyperventilating to the point where I couldn’t breathe. I would often curl up in bed and be too tired for the rest of the day to do anything, whether it was to eat or talk to anyone. It wasn’t easy and those moments scared me and felt incredibly lonely.

I thought sharing my story might help some of you if you have panic attacks or moments where you feel so overwhelmed that you become paralyzed. It can feel lonely, even though you might have a supportive family, friends or partner. But hopefully my story will make you feel less lonely and give you hope that it can get better. It takes time and energy to build your ability to address the underlying issues behind the anxiety, but it’s worth it. I feel like I’ve come out of the other end and I feel much stronger and happy, even if I still have moments where I feel anxious and overwhelmed.

Here are the things that I learned to implement immediately when I start to feel overwhelmed, anxious and panicky. It takes time to develop the instinct to resort to these tools, but the first step is always recognizing that your approach is not working to then be able to try other methods to see what works best for you.

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{ Take deep breaths }

Panic attacks are a physical reaction to stress and anxiety. So the first approach should be to calm your nerves and the most effective and basic way you can do in an instant is by controlling your breath. If you’re crying (cuz you know I do..!) it might be a bit harder to do, but trust me, the first thing you want to do is to get that breath under control.

The best method for me as been to simply inhale as slowly and as deeply as I can, and then to hold the breath for a couple of seconds, and exhale as slowly as possible. Doing this even 2-3 times will help you immensely.

** Bonus tip: Taking deep breaths is something that I try to do during the day regardless because we sometimes subconsciously hold our breaths because we’re stressed out. Your body and brain needs oxygen. The physical act of inhaling deeply and moving those stomach and lung muscles will do wonders for your stress during the day.

{ Talk to someone }

This is a tough one. I’m the type of person that closes in on herself when something is going on. But I realized that this isn’t a healthy way to living. We have family and friends for this exact reason – to be a social support when you need something. I’m trying to stop looking at it as me being a burden on them and rather reaching out whenever something is going on.

When I had my attack last week, I immediately called someone that knows me and who I trust – my hubby. Yes, I have amazing sisters and family that can offer the support, but in this moment, I needed my hubby for various reasons. I was able to let out the anxiety (by crying hysterically) but also talk through what triggered my anxiety. The simple act of talking about it made me feel relieved that I was able to share the emotions with someone who knows me, who wants me to be happy, but who also knows what I need when I’m feeling distressed.

By talking through how I was feeling, I was able to validate that there’s a reason I feel anxious. Doing that is so important because instead of beating myself up, I am able to allow myself to feel whatever I need to feel in the moment. Removing that initial pressure is an important step because once you’ve acknowledged your emotions, you can then work through them and figure out what you need to do next to move on.

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{ Take care of yourself }

Stress and anxiety are very draining. The mental and emotional drain will inevitably cause you physical fatigue. After the panic attack, I felt sleepy, which made it that much harder to go back to work and sit at my desk to try and focus and get work done.

Even though I had to go back to work, I still allowed myself the space to do easier and mindless tasks so that I didn’t have to push myself to focus and use even more energy that I didn’t have.

You need to give yourself the time and space to recuperate from the drain. I can’t emphasize this enough. Depending on your circumstances, this might not be possible, but if you can, even taking 5 minutes to close your eyes and meditate or do breathing exercises, walking around outside and getting some fresh air, or taking a few moments to distract yourself,…take a few moments (and longer if possible) to take care of yourself.

The evening after the attack, I was so excited to get to the gym and get my blood flowing. The release of endorphins after running for 50 minutes on the treadmill was exactly the medicine that I needed. I then went home and had a quiet evening, prepared an easy dinner, watched some Netflix and worked on my blog. I know the things that help me regain energy and I made sure to implement those strategies.

By the end of the evening, I was a happy camper. I even made my hubby laugh a few times because I’m so darn funny (this is an on-going joke – my hubby doesn’t always laugh at my jokes because we have a different sense of humour so when I am able to make him laugh, I feel like it’s a momentous occasion that I need to mark on the calendar. Don’t tell him but my favourite thing in the world is ot

The importance of self-care keeps on coming up over and over again, and there’s a reason for it.

{ Self-Love Lesson }

Recognizing you have made progress is an important step in self-love. We have to become our own biggest cheerleader to encourage ourselves in the right path. I could have easily told myself that I had failed because I had a panic attack after all this time. But guess what? I’m human, there was a lot of sh*t happening at the same time AND I had been sick for over a week, so it’s understandable that I felt overwhelmed. It’s okay. What matters is HOW I picked myself up and the progress I made from a couple of years ago where I wasn’t functional for a while and would have bi-weekly panic attacks.

What’s an area in your life that you have made progress in that you can be proud of? How will you celebrate this victory?

Aw, this was very inspiring to read, Sepideh! To be able to take something you struggle with and not let it define you or dictate your day–then take it as a powerful lesson to help your readers, is amazing. I love reading posts with a mix of informative tips but also shares an experience of the writer. That’s powerful.

Thank you for the encouragement and support Sheila!!! I think that learning from struggles is the most empowering way to get over something and accepting it while still feeling like you’re actively making it better!

Great tips! Another powerful one is to pick a mantra, something simple that you will remember and that repeating over and over helps calm you down. It can go from the serious (this too shall pass was a favorite amongst many people I know) to the silly (one person used “Ross and Rachel ended up together”!!!) — anything that works for you!

Sorry this happened to you and am so glad it’s come to pass. Thank you for these useful tips and reiterating self care and self love. Having had cancer, the time of the year for scans bring up alot of anxiety and taking your advice here for panic attacks. Love and lights to you x

This is such a great post! I’m sorry that happened to you – public panic attacks are the worst. Thankfully, my anxiety has improved so much, but I remember I used to get panic attacks at work and it was horrible. These are great tips for dealing with them though! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

I’ve been so focused on taking better care of myself and I’ve found that it helps immensely. I also find that creating a positive headspace during a situation that may bring on a panic attack helps get through them with fewer problems. Thank you for sharing!

I suffer from the WORST panic attacks at times. Breathing is huge. Though honestly, for me the only thing I could do to really control it was get a prescription for xanax. I rarely, rarely use it, but I think it’s also reassuring to know that I have it if I need it. I literally had a panic attack that lasted for three DAYS this past January.

Oh gosh Becky that sounds horrible, I’m so sorry you have to go through that. And I completely understand feeling comfort knowing that you have the meds to help in case you need it, that’s totally okay that you are using the tools that work for you <3

Thank you for the encouraging words Michelle! A panic attack is never fun but it’s a red flag that you need to deal with something and that’s definitely something I need to do in my life to manage the stress.

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Hi! I’m Seppy and I'm passionate about LIFE and living every day to its fullest. I love to laugh, to bullet journal and I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic (if it doesn’t have chocolate, it’s not dessert).

I’m here to help you create and live your dream life by giving you a daily dose of inspiration, encouragement and that kick in the butt that you need to #DreamBig and bring your goals to life. Are you ready?

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